Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Middletown, California
A $482,000 home here costs
$3,612per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,478. The real number is $1,134 higher every month — 46% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Middletown against Lake County and California
| Measure | Middletown | Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $481,900 | $316,800 |
| Median property tax | — | $2,295 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.724% | 0.724% |
| Median gross rent | $2,197 | $1,292 |
| Population | 1,659 | 68,139 |
The weather behind that power bill
Middletown sits in Lake County, which averages a high of 94.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 36.0°F in its coldest, with 34.84" of precipitation a year and 57% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,005 cooling and 2,879 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lake County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lake County
Full Lake County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Middletown?
A $482,000 home in Middletown, California costs approximately $3,612 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,478 principal and interest, $291 property tax, $75 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $402 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Middletown?
Place-level tax data is not published for Middletown, so the Lake County rate of 0.724% applies here.
What is the average home price in Middletown?
The median owner-occupied home value in Middletown, California is $481,900, against $316,800 across Lake County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Middletown?
Median gross rent in Middletown is $2,197 a month, against $3,612 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Middletown — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for California.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.